Young guns give veterans a mud bath

To a script made in rally heaven, two popular young drivers came up against two former champions as the 2003 World Rally Championship went into a tense four-way decider in Britain.

One of the former champions, Richard Burns, was forced out before the rally, and was later diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Then the other champion, Carlos Sainz, made an uncharacteristic forced error, leaving young guns Petter Solberg of Subaru and Sebastien Loeb of Citroen to fight to the last stage.

Norway's Solberg, a Scandinavian with flair and an outgoing personality, won the rally - and the championship - from Loeb, a former gymnast from France.

Superb on tarmac, but improving rapidly on gravel, Loeb's time will come.

A consolation prize for Citroen was the world manufacturers' crown.

Solberg, Loeb and young Estonian Markko Martin are the future of world rallying, while some of the long-established names are fighting to keep their places within the sport.

Burns's tragic health issues explain why his form towards the business end of the season slipped so alarmingly.

Treatment will be prolonged and he has announced he won't be driving for Subaru next season.

Following suggestions that Ford might withdraw from world rallying, Subaru had hoped to secure its talented driver Martin to replace Burns.

But the announcement a few days ago that Ford will contest the 2004 championship means Subaru may have to grab former world champ Colin McRae, who had looked to be leaving the WRC after Citroen let him go in favour of Loeb and Sainz.

WRC boss David Richards would love to see McRae in the WRC as his presence would boost TV audiences in Britain.

The Ford announcement is a relief for WRC organisers. The 2004 competition had already lost Hyundai and Skoda (who intend to return later).

Despite the emergence of Solberg, Loeb and Martin, dual world champ Marcus Gronholm of Finland remains the benchmark. While he struggled this year in the increasingly uncompetitive and ageing Peugeot 206, next year he and Freddy Loix will have new 307s.

Missing next year will be the now-retired four-times world champ Tommi Makinen who ended his WRC career with a third in Britain.

Returning to the WRC next year after a sabbatical is Mitsubishi. Gilles Panizzi will lead their 2004 assault, supported by a trio of drivers who will share the second Lancer alongside the Frenchman.

The other three drivers - Finland's Kristian Sohlberg, Spain's Daniel Sola Vila and Italy's Gianluigi "Gigi" Galli - will share the second entry, and will also drive a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 in other rounds to gain further experience.

The FAI has released a calendar for 2004 which puts Rally Australia back in a November (12-14) slot as the final round of the series.